Hyderabad, Feb 12 (UNI) The Telangana State Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution declaring its refusal to hand over control of its projects to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) unless certain conditions are agreed upon by the state government.
Irrigation Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy, while introducing the resolution, emphasized the significance of the Krishna River as a lifeline for southern Telangana, serving both irrigation and drinking water needs.
He highlighted historical discrepancies in water sharing, citing the unfair allocation of 299 TMC to Telangana and 512 TMC to Andhra Pradesh after the formation of the new state. Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that the creation of KRMB through the AP Reorganization Act 2014 posed challenges to Telangana’s interests, especially regarding the control of common projects like Srisailam Dam and Nagarjunasagar Dam.
The resolution specified conditions for handing over control to KRMB, including considerations for catchment areas, drought-prone regions, basin populations, and cultivable areas as the basis for water sharing. It referenced the KWDT-I Award, emphasizing in-basin needs, MDDL of Srisailam, limited outside basin diversions, and strict regulations on unauthorized construction of projects diverting Krishna water.
The House also urged the Government of India to withdraw the CRPF and return project control to the Telangana Government.
The Irrigation Minister gave a PowerPoint presentation explaining the resolution’s aims and objectives wherein he accused the previous BRS regime of surrendering Telangana’s interest by agreeing to 512 TMCs for Andhra Pradesh and 299 TMCs for Telangana. He asserted that the previous BRS regime decided to give away the control of projects. He also gave a detailed chronology of meetings and events and their implications to substantiate his allegation.
After over four hours of debate, the House unanimously passed the resolution.
